Firefighters and a specialist rescue team carried out a nerve-racking operation against the clock to save a driver impaled on a metal railing
ON October 14, 2017, Phil Ewins, 31, was driving to propose to his girlfriend Dikla. But his plans nearly came to a tragic end when he was involved in a horrific car crash which left him impaled on a 10ft pole.
The Red Watch fire crew rushed to the scene where, led by Watch Commander Chris Hill and Crew Commander Joe Poynton, they raced against the clock.
Joe recalls: “We needed to get him out of the car and into medical care as quickly as possible without making things worse.”
They called in the Technical Rescue Unit, including Crew Commander Matt Ward. With the “golden hour”, after which Phil’s chances of survival would plummet, running out, the team delicately used a circular saw to cut him free. He was taken to hospital and had lifesaving surgery on his liver, lungs and diaphragm. He was in an induced coma for four days, but has made a good recovery.
Phil was so grateful to the fire crew that he invited them to his wedding in July.
He says: “They were all world class. Without them I would have died. Instead, I’ve been able to get married and lift my wife for our wedding photos.” MAX was eight when he was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a crippling disease that affects the heart muscle.
Doctors implanted an electric pump to keep him alive in the short term, but told his parents he would die without a transplant.
As Max deteriorated, he was placed on the transplant list at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle. Max was on the list from January until
August 2017. During that time he decided to share his story and support a campaign in favour of an opt-out donation system, so consent to donate organs is presumed.